March is usually the month that has the highest temperatures in Costa Rica, the National Meteorological Institute has reminded citizens to take the necessary precautions specially during the Holy Week when many nationals and foreigners choose to go on vacation to the beach.

The absence of strong wind increases the heat sensation. Temperatures will reach 36°C (97°F) in Guanacaste (100°F in some areas); 31°C (88°F) in Alajuela and 28 °C (82.4°F) in San Jose this week, particularly from Monday through Wednesday, as of Thursday the winds will increase bringing down the temperature a little.

Among the recommendations given by experts are: Always use sunblock even if you are not at the beach and don’t plan to be exposed to the sun for long hours, if you are at the beach reapply every two hours. Use hats and sunglasses to protect your face. Hydrate. Try to stay out of the sun in the hours from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.

These measures are also important for those that participate in the religious parades during the Holy Week.

Sunburns before the age of 18 elevate in a 30% the possibilities of developing skin cancer, a common condition in Costa Rica that corresponds to 23% of all cancer cases in the country. It is important that sunblock is applied at least 30 minutes prior to the exposure to the UV rays. It only takes 20 minutes of sun exposure for the skin to suffer damages and even burns.